Mother of All Suffering
(a short story taking place after Shadow of Death - focusing on Evil after she is forced to replace Misery after the rogue Absolute sacrificed herself to prevent Multiversal destruction, this is before she becomes an active force however - the story serves as a prelude to the Elements of Darkness, which begins in full during Dark Waters) Mother of All Suffering A great and powerful entity sat atop a throne of black stone, high atop a tower of thorns in a spiralling mass of red mist - the entity was akin to a satyr but dressed in armor not unlike those of the mythical Spartan warriors, yet tainted with unspeakable horrors as a foul trident pulsating with infernal energy lay at her side. Glowing eyes of pure yellow stared out at the world as terrible claws as sharp as any talon grasped at the throne and dug deep enough to cause even its unnatural structure to crack and splinter - above the entity was a swirling mass of dark energy that seemed to produce shadowy tendrils. "How dare you.." she began, her voice akin to a whisper - yet full of fury - white hot in intensity - staring at an orb depicting a figure in red manifesting before a startled group of heroes and villains, the figure proceeding to stop the groups in their tracks as she flew into the path of a living tide of what looked like demonic locusts. "How DARE you.." the figure growled, her voice deepening as the entire tower began to shake, her eyes glowing brighter as she watched the figrue disappear into the tide - another figure resembling a mass of tendrils and blasphemous mouths shrieked out in fury that was soon echoed as the observing figure stood up, emitting a wave of black energy that shattered the throne and the orb. "..I was to be rid of this Multiverse.. of the Alpha.. of all the pathetic creatures that DARED to walk upon the existence I had reserved for my children.. yet you defied me.. you removed yourself from existence knowing that I would be forced to replace you.. after all, you were born of me.. you wicked, depraved little monster - to do such a thing to your own mother.. I would of absorbed you back into the womb had I know what a bitter disappointment you would be.." the entity snarled, pacing the room. "..mark my words, daughter.. had it not been for Oblivion and your followers conspiring against me not even that fool Seya nor that pitiful Zied would of stood a chance against me.. to be struck down in front of everyone as I was.. to receive Metatron's "Judgement".. AARGH" the entity lost control again and held her hand out, her trident flew forward with incredible speed as she proceeded to grasp it and unleashed an arc of pure violence that shattered one of the tower walls and piercing deep into the red mist surrounding it. "Even now Seya seeks answers and no doubt those involved in this war on both sides mock me.. the Mother of All Watchers.. now reduced to the rank of Misery.. denied my right to extinguish the stars and instead having to make do with hiding in the shadows once more.." the entity frowned, calming herself as the wall of the tower repaired itself and a new throne emerged from the debris. Walking over to the new throne the entity sat down, beginning to shift into a formless mass of bubbling darkness as red mist began to enter the room, merging with her darkness and causing crackling red to pulsate across her mass. "..well.. fine.. so be it.. I can not waste time thinking on a deceased parasite.. no.. there is work to be done.. Oblivion.. Kerava.. Seya.. Arodnap.. Sin.. Karma.. Metatron.. so many more.. they shall pay.. yes.. they will suffer for what they did to me.." With those ominous words the mass of bubbling darkness grew larger and larger as the red energy became like living lightning, surging across the mass as it suddenly spun around like a tornado, growing ever smaller in the process - a pair of large demonic wings emerged, then two dark hands and ebon hooves - glowing yellow eyes opened as the tornado disappeared entirely to reveal a new figure. Her face was covered in a red executioner-style hood and her Spartan armor had made way to red plate-armor and a loose red robe - a long devil-like tail grew from her back and as she extended a hand her trident once again flew forward as she grabbed it. The trident soon surged with energy as it turned from black to red, the figure finally slamming the blunt end of the trident on the ground - standing fully transformed and breathing deeply as she looked around the room, her previous fury now being kept in check as she tried to contain herself. "..you sacrificed yourself to spite us all.. to mock the heroes and their ideas of "virtue", to punish those villains you believed had caused too much chaos even for your liking.. how you took delight in reminding us that yours was not an act of kindness but a means to show that everything was ultimately futile - that just as you had prophecised Misery was the most crucial of elements.. yet as you so boldly declared victory you knew as well as I did that you were passing your crown onto me.. to defeat me you had to give me your kingdom.. your role.. for with your purpose, I was bond to this Multiverse once more.." "..I suppose I should admire that.. in order for your own victory everyone had to lose.. yet even as you imprisoned me in your own kingdom I know deep inside that you were ashamed.. for you knew what I would do to your realms, to your followers.. yes.. I shall take some pleasure in doing to you children what you Absolutes have done to mine for so long.. imprisonment.. torture.. exile.. death.. oh yes.. the kingdom of Misery shall have its first true taste of blood.. they shall kill for the glory of a new Misery.. blood shall mix with tears and the weeping of the desperate shall blend with the screams of the widowed - your world had rules, daughter.. I shall see them destroyed.." The figure focused, the trident glowing like a hot iron as she unleashed new power, creating an unholy altar upon which a dark red orb manifested - soon the orb began to play out images of many forms of suffering and depravity from infinite worlds, each scene mere seconds in length yet the entity never missed any of the images.. each brief glimpse filling her with infinite knowledge on each and every event. "..I have always been the Mother of All Suffering.. you were simply a byproduct of an ancient mistake.. the Multiverse existed before you and it shall exist after you.. for this is a new era we live in.. a brave new order - some such as Seya shall seek purpose, others such as Kerava shall seek vengeance but now that I have had time to think I shall take a new path.. you angered me, daughter, few have made me as angered as you did.. yet I can not let it hold me back.. I have been imprisoned before and we shall see how long this one can hold me.. you may of got the better of me, Misery.. yet even as you did so I know you were thinking exactly what I am thinking right now: "mothers teach their daughters everything they know.." - I taught you well.. now it is time to teach the rest of them.." The entity sat back down on the throne and stared at the altar, even from afar every image was clear to her as she leaned back - eyes glowing ever brighter as she afforded a dark chuckle to herself: "..lessons must be learned.. indeed.. class is now in session". '-THE END-' Category:Short Stories Category:Queen-Misery Category:Grimdark Category:Supernatural Category:Finished Stories